1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices that retain a volume of insect repellant and expose that material to the surrounding environment. The present invention also relates to accessories that attach to garments, especially hats.
2. Prior Art Description
There are many compounds, both in nature and manmade, that repel certain insects. In order for any insect repellant to be effective in keeping insects away from a person, a person must apply the insect repellant to either his/her skin or clothing. When a person is outdoors in an insect infested area, it is typically the uncovered areas of the skin that get bitten the most. Even some insects that do not bite are drawn to unprotected skin. For example, many species of gnats and flies tend to swarm around the head of a person, often landing near a person's eyes, nose and mouth.
In order to be effective, the volatiles of an insect repellant must be in strong concentrations around the area of the person needing protection. It is for this reason that insect repellant is often applied directly to areas of exposed skin, especially on the legs, arms and neck. However, many insect repellents contain chemical compounds, such as DEET, that are highly toxic. Other insect repellants, such as citronella oil, are less toxic, but have strong aromas that get absorbed into the skin and clothing upon which it is applied. People are therefore presented with a choice between getting bitten by insects, smelling like bug spray, or having chemicals on their skin and clothing.
In an attempt to avoid the problem of applying insect repellant directly to the skin or to a garment, disposable articles have been invented that are presaturated with insect repellant. The disposable items are then carried by a person traveling outdoors into an insect infested area. Some such articles are specifically designed for pets and come in the form of pet collars. Other items have adhesive backings and can be applied to any object. Pet collars that are saturated with insect repellants are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,505 to McAndless, entitled Insect Repellant Collar. Insect repellants with adhesive backings are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. D363,111 to Walburn, entitled Multi-Purpose Self-Adhesive Insect and Parasite repellant.
In U.S. Statutory Invention Registration H1731 to Ahr, entitled Insect Repellant Article, a disposable object is shown that contains a breakable packet of insect repellant. Once the breakable packet is opened, insect repellant soaks the absorbent material of the article. The article therefore repels insects until the insect repellent evaporates.
A problem with secondary objects, such as those disclosed in the Walburm patent and the Ahr registration is that they are unsightly if worn directly upon the clothing. However, these objects must be worn directly on the clothing in order to be effective. Another disadvantage of such prior art articles is that the insect repellant fades rapidly. After one day's use, such prior art articles fail to be effective.
Of course, insect repellant articles can be hidden within the structure of a garment. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,635 to Peterson, entitled Clothing Including Insect Repellant Strips, clothing is shown having insect repellant strips used as drawstrings. The strips are mostly encased within the sewn hems of the garment. Accordingly, only a small portion of the insect repellant article is exposed to the surrounding environment. Such insect repellant articles therefore might be effective against ticks that crawl on the skin, but have little or no effect on flying insects such as mosquitoes and gnats.
A need therefore exists for an insect repellant article that does not contaminate a person's skin or clothing, yet is effective against flying insects and is not highly visible. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.